Nantucket Unitarian Universalist Newsletter - November 2015

Transcription

1 Second Congregational Meeting House Society Unitarian Universalist 11 Orange Street - P. O. Box 1023 Nantucket, MA (508) Nantucket Unitarian Universalist Newsletter - November 2015 COMMON PATHWAYS * By Reverend Linda Simmons Giving and Living Well I think a lot about generosity in my line of work. Practicing it of course is another matter! There are many competing demands for our generosity in our personal and professional lives. We all know and have read about the merits of generosity. I recently read a book called The Paradox of Generosity by Christian Smith & Hilary Davidson. This is the first time I have read about the relationship between generosity, depression and an interest in personal growth. According to The Science of Generosity Study people who do not engage in generosity are 20% more depressed than people who do and 30% more interested in personal growth. I found the relationship between depression, personal growth and generosity intriguing. Recently, Gary and I visited family in Maine and New Hampshire. During one of our dinners, I found myself revisiting work that I had done many years ago, advising, loving, offering compassion, and listening. My instinct leaving the dinner was to feel exhaustion and sorrow that one so loved is so lost to herself, so unable to see how mistreated she is and begin a process of healing. This I recognize now as a habitual response in me. The record goes: If I give and share and listen and guide with a family member or good friend, I feel drained. It s just set up in me that way. When I reflected on it with some distance from my reactivity, I realized something quite different. As I was talking and listening at this dinner, I realized that I shared a lot about my own life struggles, my own places of brokenness and about the tools I have used to learned new responses to old patterns, so allowing new possibilities to take shape. In other words, I made myself vulnerable. All self growth, a natural reliever of depression, requires vulnerability. I see now that the generosity I offered at this dinner was an experience of vulnerability that allowed me to check in with where I am today, how I am going with my own process, what needs revisiting and what needs some celebrating too. As we go about our days, offering generous listening and care to each other, and opening our hearts and minds to our own tender places, may we experience generosity, joy, and vulnerability as partners in this circle dance of every widening circumference. *Nantucket is full of common pathways, some known by many, others known only by a few. Our Meeting House brings us together, traveling over many pathways, some common, some not, as we learn to walk with each other even when the ways are unfamiliar and unmarked. JOIN US AT 10:45 A.M. EVERY SUNDAY Sunday, Nov. 1 A Theology of Immortality Rev. Linda Simmons Sunday, Nov. 8 What Is Life Worth Rev. Linda Simmons Sunday, Nov. 15 How Marriage Equality Changed My Relationship...with the World James Michael Angelo, Guest Speaker Sunday, Nov. 22 Turkey Turmoil Rev. Linda Simmons Sunday, Nov. 29 The 7th Principle Project, a Story of Where It Came From and Where It s Headed Jack Weinhold Families Welcome! Religious Education for Children Every Sunday

2 PRESIDENT S REPORT Four Years by Susan Richards, Board of Trustees President A little over four years have passed since Peter and I moved to live full-time on the island. It was a big move for us and we had many discussions about what our "Nantucket dreams" were for our new lives as islanders. We had gone to scattered services at the Meeting House over our years as visitors...and of course Rev Ted had married us back in We had a real positive feeling about the congregation and after just our first service in August of 2011, we both felt like we had found a community in which we could feel comfortable as well as make a contribution. We signed the book in January of During the almost four years since we signed we have led or been a part of several services, have attended multiple community dinners, fundraisers, seasonal suppers, knitting circles, Spanish language classes, non-violence and world religion classes, and have become members of a variety of committees and groups including Religious Exploration, Lay Led, Ministry, Minister Search, the Board of Trustees, Grassroots...well, you get the picture. Just as important, we have found supportive and loving friends. In short, it's exactly what we were looking for. This is the fourth Pledging period we have experienced since we signed the book. In my four years as an active member I have come to learn what it takes to run our congregation - a wonderful minister who is completely invested, members who are involved and motivated, and a community of diverse individuals who are willing to pledge what they are able to maintain the financial end of what keeps our congregation going... Thanks to all of my fellow UUers for all that you do and give. 7th Principle Project/Green Sanctuary By Gary Langley Our first meeting to unpack the projects we voted on and the Green Sanctuary process will be after service on Sunday, November 1st. At this meeting, we will consider where and how to begin, what is needed for first steps of the UUA Green Sanctuary application that, once submitted, grants us a consultant, and how to divvy up the joy and challenges of this life changing work so that there is room for all voices, gifts and energy. We will also watch a short video of the upcoming January class Our Place In the Web of Life which is meant to kick start the 7th Principle Project/Green Sanctuary process Please make an extra effort to join us on November 1st. The web of life is only a web if we are all part of it. We need you in order to change and celebrate the world we live in. Religious Exploration in November Susan Richards; RE Committee A busy month of RE is coming up in November! November 1st: All Souls Day: We will remember our loved ones that have gone before us and create a memory board in their honor. November 8th: Veterans Day: "Give Peace a Chance" We will design Peace Flags and share what peace means to us. November 15th: Stroll ornaments: We will decorate ornaments for our stroll tree. Theme: We Wish UU a Merry Christmas... Happy Hanukkah... Joyful Kwanza... and a Delightful Winter Solstice! November 22: Thanksgiving: We will read a Thanksgiving story, share what we are thankful for, and make a chain of thankfulness. November 29: Stroll ornaments and Tree decoration! All are invited! Remembering our Loved Ones with Gratitude By Lora Stewart, Caring Team Chair Often the Holiday Season brings up memories of loved ones that have died; we think of times past when our loved ones were with us to celebrate. Those memories can be bittersweet, and sometimes painful. Someone once said to me that the best way to honor the dead is not with grief, but with gratitude. I am hoping, as a Meeting House family, we can start a new ritual that will help with our feelings of loss and turn some of those feelings into gratitude. In many cultures, a special day of remembrance is observed for the deceased. Many Catholics observe All Saints Day and All Souls Day to honor the faithful who have departed. In central and southern Mexico indigenous people celebrate a holiday called Dia de los Muertos Day of the Dead (which coincides with All Souls and All Saint s Day). By October 31st, they have constructed beautiful alters in their homes and then take the party to the cemetery and the streets on November 2nd to honor their deceased loved ones. During the service on November 22nd we will honor our loved ones who have died. Before service we will set up a memorial display of their photos and during service we will have an opportunity to light a candle in their memory. If you wish, please bring a photograph or other memento of a beloved person, pet, or other being you have lost. Perhaps you have a story or two to share during coffee hour that day?

3 Meet Our Members Meet Our Members is a monthly series highlighting a different member or family each month. Meeting House Thanksgiving Dinners Paulette and Fred Boling Come join our UU Community at either one or both of these Thanksgiving Celebrations: Vegan Thanksgiving Celebration! Monday, November 16th, 6:30pm, Activities Room Bring a vegan Thanksgiving dish to share. Potluck, informal, fun! A great way to honor the animals during this season of feasting. Susan Richards at susanoncobble@gmail.com if you'd like to join us! Thanksgiving Day Potluck Celebration Thursday, November 26, 2pm, Parsonage Join Rev. Linda and Gary at the parsonage for a potluck Thanksgiving dinner this November 26th at 2pm. We will provide the turkey. Sign up sheet in the Activities Room. We are looking forward to spending this holiday together! We came to Nantucket a few times for vacations over ten years before we bought our house in late 1986, and now we divide our time fairly equally between Nantucket and Lynnfield, MA. In 1986, during a visit over Labor Day, I visited the UU Meeting House for the Sunday service and really liked what Ted Anderson had to say. After that Fred and I, and sometimes our son, Todd, attended occasionally because we always learned from and enjoyed Ted s sermons, and Ted in general. We signed the book as associate members sometime in the early 1990s. We ve now been occasional attendees for almost thirty years! We have liked the ministers that followed Ted, but didn t attend as much until getting to know Jennifer Brooks. In recent years we ve come to know Jack Weinhold and Mary Beth Splaine. They have become friends and have been instrumental in our meeting and getting to know some church members. Linda and Craig Spery have also become friends and introduced us to others,, so, after all these years, we have become a little more involved with the congregation. We like hearing Linda s and others sermons because we learn from them, and we like the feeling of community among the members. We also love the music! Unitarian Meeting House Craft and Gift Sale for Stroll Let s have some fun together! It is time for us to join the many other churches and organizations that have fundraising activities during Stroll. It is hoped that our efforts will result in some added support in our annual budget. However, the goal this year is to begin modestly and put the focus more on having fun together than on realizing big profit. The plan is to offer crafts, gift baskets, jewelry, a SMALL white elephant table and, perhaps, a bake sale table if we are permitted to have one. Some of us have been working throughout the year to make things to sell and now everyone has an opportunity to help! You can help by donating your own crafts, by donating baskets that are in good shape, by donating all or some of the contents of a basket or rounding up those white elephants at your house. We will be having a few workshops in these next few weeks to create simple things to sell. These craft workshops don t require special skills; anyone can create something beautiful. Our first beading workshop resulted in some beautiful necklaces! This year, the sale is going to be only on Stroll Saturday from 9-3. It is your opportunity for a one time, short commitment that could result in a big win for us all. In the next few weeks, look for sign-up sheets for craft workshops, suggested gift basket items and to let us know of any of your own craft donations. There will also be sign-ups to help with pricing early in the week, set up on Friday night, sales shifts during the day on Saturday and to help with a QUICK clean up starting at 3 PM on Saturday so the AR is ready for Faro de Luz at 5:30. If you have any questions or thoughts, please see Lora Stewart or her at lora@plpdd.com.

4 Report from the Treasurer By Paul Stewart Our planning and financial year is the same as the calendar year. Therefore, the end of a calendar year is a busy time, as we wrap up one year and prepare and plan for the next. The 2016 Pledge request letters were mailed out last week. We need every member and friend to support the congregation at some level of participation each year to maintain the goodness we have achieved and to reach the goals of excellence we share. Please give careful thought to your 2016 commitment and then fill out and return a pledge card at your earliest convenience. If you don t have a pledge card, an to the Treasurer at Paul@PLPDD.com will work just as well. In November and December the Finance Committee and the Board of Trustees will be working to build a plan and budget for 2016 around the pledges we make. That plan and budget will be published in the January Weathervane and discussed and voted on at the congregation s Annual Meeting on January 24, With your support, we can all continue to strive together to increase the measure of love and justice in the world.

5 November Calendar of Events Friday, November 6, 5 pm Monday, November 16, 6:30 pm Vegan Nantucket Thanksgiving, Activities Room Contact Susan Richards for information: susanoncobble@gmail.com Friday, November 20, 5 pm Thursday, November 26, 2 pm Thanksgiving Potluck Celebration, Parsonage, 10 Fair Street Sign up in the Activities Room or revlindasimmons@gmail.com December Calendar of Events Friday, December 4 Set-up for Unitarian Meeting House Craft and Gift Sale for Stroll Contact Lora Stewart for information, lora@plpdd.com Friday, December 4, 5 pm Saturday, December 5, 9 am 3 pm, Activities Room Unitarian Meeting House Craft and Gift Sale for Stroll Contact Lora Stewart for information, lora@plpdd.com Friday, December 18, 5pm

6 Sermons for November November 1: A Theology of Immortality - Rev. Linda Simmons There are many new technologies that promise a regeneration of extinct species, of limbs and organs that fail, of environments on other planets that may support life, even of the mind as Artificial Intelligence moves in surprising and awe inspiring ways. What does it mean to be mortal now in a time when immortality makes ever more stunning promise? November 8: What is Life Worth - Rev. Linda Simmons Kenneth Feinberg in his book What is Life Worth chronicles the distribution of money to 9/11 victims. Feinberg also spoke at the UU Meeting House this past summer. This sermon will explore the many facets of Feinberg s work which sheds light not only on how life is valued by others, but how we value our own lives. November 15: How Marriage Equality Changed My Relationship...with the World - James Michael Angelo, Guest Speaker How we view relationships is how we measure our worth and the worth of others. Community is built on these views. This is a personal look into what shapes our identity as human beings and the deeper effect marriage equality has had on the gay community and beyond. James Michael Angelo is a writer, comic, actor, and designer in New York City. He s the author of the forthcoming memoir Life After Amway. He s also a freelance blogger for The Huffington Post, Recovery Brands LLC, and script writer for theater, television, and film. James founded the New York City chapter of GLSEN bringing safe space workshops into schools for students and educators. He performs stand-up in and around New York City, and is an accomplished host and public speaker. November 22: Turkey Turmoil - Rev. Linda Simmons It s the Holiday Season that comes with all the joy and turmoil of family gatherings. This sermon explores the use of non-violent communication and family systems to allow us to remain loving and open while the holidays swirl around us. Please bring pictures of loved ones to place on an altar where we will light candles in their memory. November 29: The 7th Principle Project, a Story of Where it Came From and Where It s Headed - Jack Weinhold Join Jack Weinhold for a look at the evolution of The 7th Principle Project that s associated with our belief in the interdependent web of all existence, how it addresses our involvement in the issues of today s world, and what it could mean for the future of Unitarian Universalism. We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote: ~ The inherent worth and dignity of every person. ~ Justice, equity and compassion in human relations. ~ Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations. ~ A free and responsible search for truth and meaning. ~ The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large. ~ The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all. ~ Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. Second Congregational Meeting House Society Unitarian Universalist 11 Orange Street - P. O. Box 1023 Nantucket, MA (508) (Office) office@unitarianchurchnantucket.org Church Staff Rev. Linda Simmons, Minister ~ Edward B. Anderson, Minister Emeritus Diane T. Lehman, Music Director ~ Lucretia Voigt, Office Manager ~ Jen Dunbar, Lead RE Teacher Ed Sullivan, Sexton ~ Chuck Gieg, Bookkeeper Board of Trustees Susan Richards (President), Jan Ellsworth (Vice President), Paul Stewart (Treasurer), Steve Estabrooks (Clerk) Cynthia Csabay, Joanna Greenfield, Joy Margolis, Jim Sulzer, Lora Stewart Church Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - noon Minister s Office Hours: Tuesday, 10 a.m. noon and by appointment